Buffalo Bill's Brewery
America's first brewpub, a pioneer of craft beer styles.
Buffalo Bill's Brewery, located in Hayward, California, holds the distinction of being the first brewpub in the United States. It opened its doors on September 9, 1983, after brewing its initial batch of beer on August 2, 1983. In 2018, the Smithsonian American History Museum recognized it as one of the most historic brewpubs in the country.
Before 1983, brewers could not legally sell directly to customers. That changed when California Assemblyman Tom Bates authored Assembly Bill 3610 in 1982, which permitted direct sales as long as food was also served. The law took effect on January 1, 1983, and the term "brewpub" was coined at that time.
The brewery was founded in 1983 by Bill Owens, a photographer who had received a Guggenheim Fellowship. In 1994, the brewer Geoff Harries purchased the business. Buffalo Bill's is credited with creating several beer styles: Amber ale (Buffalo Amber, 1983), Pumpkin ale (1986), and Double IPA (Hearty Ale, 1987). Owens also produced one of the first craft IPAs in 1987, called Alimony Ale, which was marketed with the slogans "The Bitterest Beer in America" and "It's Irreconcilably Different." The brewery's influence on the early craft beer movement was noted by Playboy magazine, which highlighted Owens's unconventional approach, including a pumpkin ale made with mashed pumpkins and a beer called Tasmanian Devil brewed with Tasmanian hops. Newsweek also credited Owens with pushing for the legislation that helped spark a nationwide wave of brewpubs and microbreweries.
Buffalo Bill's closed on June 2, 2022, due to rising costs and the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on August 7, 2023, under new ownership.
Before opening the brewery, Owens wrote *How to Build a Small Brewery* in 1981, which was revised and expanded in 1989 and again in 1992 with Harries, eventually selling over 30,000 copies. The book helped many home brewers move from extract brewing to grain brewing, a significant step forward at the time. Owens also published *American Brewer Magazine*, *Beer the Magazine*, *The Brewpub Manual*, and a series of maps documenting the early craft beer movement in Northern California, all from within Buffalo Bill's.
Quick Facts
- Hq Location
- Hayward, California
- Owner
- Geoff Harries, Licensed to Alejandro Gamarra
- Industry
- Alcoholic beverage
- Products
- Beer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Before 1983, it was illegal for a brewer to sell directly to the consumer. In 1982, Assemblyman Tom Bates wrote California Assembly Bill 3610, which would allow brewers to sell directly to consumers provided food was served. On January 1, 1983, it was signed into law, and the term 'brewpub' was officially coined. Buffalo Bill's was founded in 1983 by Bill Owens, a Guggenheim Fellowship photographer, and in 1994, the brewery was purchased by then brewer Geoff Harries.
Buffalo Bill's is credited with creating the beer styles Amber ale (Buffalo Amber, 1983), Pumpkin ale (1986), and Double IPA (Hearty Ale, 1987). Owens is also credited with creating one of the first craft IPAs in 1987, the Alimony Ale. Slogans for the Alimony Ale included 'The Bitterest Beer in America' and 'It's Irreconcilably Different'. Buffalo Bill's impact on the burgeoning craft beer movement was noted in Playboy magazine: '[Owens has] taken a very ordinary beverage, brewed it in an offbeat manner, and come up with some highly select idiosyncratic beer. How about pumpkin ale made with mashed pumpkins? Or a beer he calls Tasmanian Devil because it's made with Tasmanian hops.' Newsweek recognized Owen's efforts towards 'legislation that could open the spigots for a nationwide surge of brewpubs and microbreweries.'
Buffalo Bill's closed on June 2, 2022, due to rising business costs and the COVID-19 pandemic. The business reopened on August 7, 2023, under new ownership.
Reader's Guide
Buffalo Bill's Brewery holds a foundational place in American craft beer history as the nation's first brewpub, opening after California Assembly Bill 3610 legalized direct sales from brewers to consumers. Its founder, Bill Owens, was a Guggenheim Fellowship photographer who authored How to Build A Small Brewery in 1981, a book that helped many home brewers switch from extract brewing to grain brewing. The brewery is credited with creating several influential beer styles: Amber ale in 1983, Pumpkin ale in 1986, and Double IPA in 1987. Owens also created one of the first craft IPAs, Alimony Ale, in 1987. Buffalo Bill's was recognized by Playboy and Newsweek for its role in the craft beer movement. In 2018, it was inducted into the Smithsonian American History Museum as one of the most historic brewpubs in America. After closing in 2022 due to rising costs and the COVID-19 pandemic, it reopened in 2023 under new ownership. Owens also published American Brewer Magazine, Beer the Magazine, The Brewpub Manual, and a series of maps chronicling the early craft beer movement in Northern California.
Did You Know?
- Buffalo Bill's was the first brewpub in America, opening in 1983.
- The term 'brewpub' was officially coined when California Assembly Bill 3610 became law on January 1, 1983.
- Buffalo Bill's is credited with creating the Pumpkin ale style in 1986.
- Founder Bill Owens authored How to Build A Small Brewery, which sold over 30,000 copies.
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